The Local Explanatory Model: A Study of Assumed Causes of Tuberculosis in Rural Nepal

Authors

  • Ulla-Britt Engelbrektsson International Nepal Fellowship, Surkhet, Nepal
  • Madhusudan Subedi Central Department of Sociology, Tribhuvan University, Nepal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3126/dsaj.v10i0.15880

Keywords:

explanatory model, etiology, rural Nepal, tuberculosis, uncertainty

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) constitutes one of the major public health problems in Nepal. Our theoretical framework, in this paper, is to explore people's understanding of the culturally constructed reality, the local explanatory model, for causes of Tuberculosis. The ethnographic data were collected from 'Solubang' village of Pyuthan district in 2005 and 2012/13. The finding shows that assumed and suggested cause(s) of TB are multiple but most often within a framework of great uncertainty. Compared to 2005, people were better aware of the need for timely treatment in 2012/13. The arrival of the biomedical anti-TB medicines has changed the situation for the better and is widely recognized but perception on causes of TB and its prevalence have not changed drastically, and mortality rates have not decreased at the speed hoped for.

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Author Biographies

Ulla-Britt Engelbrektsson, International Nepal Fellowship, Surkhet, Nepal

Engelbrektsson, Ulla-Britt (PhD in Social Anthropology, 1979) was Lecturer (1972-1998) and Associate Professor (1998-2009) at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and between 2010–2014, she served as a member of the University of Gothenburg’s Global University Initiative. Ulla-Britt's publications are focused on socio-cultural aspects of infectious diseases especially Tuberculosis and Leprosy. Currently, Ulla-Britt Engelbrektsson is Planning and Evaluation Officer of the International Nepal Fellowship based in Surkhet, Nepal. 

Madhusudan Subedi, Central Department of Sociology, Tribhuvan University, Nepal

Subedi, Madhusudan is Professor and associated to the Central Department of Sociology, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. For last 20 years, Subedi has focused on 'social determinants of health', 'women and health', 'pharmaceuticals', 'infectious diseases', 'caste system', 'informal networking', 'qualitative research methods' and 'polity and social transformation' in Nepal. 

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Published

2016-10-04

How to Cite

Engelbrektsson, U.-B., & Subedi, M. (2016). The Local Explanatory Model: A Study of Assumed Causes of Tuberculosis in Rural Nepal. Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology, 10, 37–62. https://doi.org/10.3126/dsaj.v10i0.15880

Issue

Vol. 10 (2016)

Section

Articles